Issue 12, 2014

Graphene oxide–coumarin derivative conjugate as activatable nanoprobe for intracellular imaging with one- or two-photon excitation

Abstract

An interesting activatable fluorescent imaging probe based on a graphene oxide–coumarin derivative conjugate with high sensitivity in cancer cell visualization was proposed. The nanoprobe has a fluorescence off–on response for intracellular imaging via covalently linking coumarin derivatives to graphene oxide (GO) through disulfide bonds. The obtained nanoprobe shows no or weak fluorescence (OFF) most likely due to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer from the coumarin moiety to GO. It becomes activated (ON) inside the cells by glutathione initiated dissociation, showing remarkably enhanced fluorescence. More significantly, the present activatable nanoprobe can be efficiently taken up by cells. Two-photon induced fluorescence imaging of the proposed nanoprobe was also clearly observed by utilizing femtosecond pulse laser excitation, and affords a powerful alternative candidate for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of tumors. Similar fluorescence was visualized in a tumor-bearing mouse model using this probe. These results demonstrate the potential of using this activatable nanoprobe for the detection of cancer.

Graphical abstract: Graphene oxide–coumarin derivative conjugate as activatable nanoprobe for intracellular imaging with one- or two-photon excitation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Nov 2013
Accepted
10 Jan 2014
First published
10 Jan 2014

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014,2, 1742-1750

Graphene oxide–coumarin derivative conjugate as activatable nanoprobe for intracellular imaging with one- or two-photon excitation

H. Zhang, R. Huang, H. Cang, Z. Cai and B. Sun, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014, 2, 1742 DOI: 10.1039/C3TB21656J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements